Wish Upon A Falling Star
by LadyKatsu
Summary: Miroku made a promise to return to a woman who loved him after she had grown up a bit, but broke the promise. When he does find her again, she needs him more than ever.
1. Broken Vows

Authoress here.

I wanted to write a fic that could make people cry...but I don't think it's going to happen. I may as well try my hardest anyway! I love Inuyasha, so I figured it was about time for me to spew some Inuyasha stories.

EPILOGUE

She remembered the warmth of Miroku's hand in hers.

"I'll come back for you when you're older, Matori," he had said. "In four years, I'll come back."

She remembered him slipping his other arm around her waist to hold her close to him, being trapped in the moment for what seemed like an eternity.

She had smiled and the two had shared a kiss before he parted, not wanting to look back. She too, had turned away, knowing that to watch him walk away would break her heart more than him leaving already had.

It had been six years since she had last heard his voice and seen his sweet face. Six years had taken its toll on her heart.

START CHAPTER

"Inuyasha, do we have to stay here?"

Inuyasha growled at the young fox demon, and didn't reply.

"It's better than the woods, I guess," Kagome admitted. "But I don't see any places to stay."

Miroku hadn't said anything from the moment they had entered the small town after a few days walking. It was located in the middle of the woods, and didn't seem like a major tourist attraction. In fact, it seemed pretty small and desolate compared to others that he had seen. Now, his eyes landed on the sign that bore the town name: Karai. After he had seen the sign, he had fallen into a state of shock, but kept a blank expression on his face.

"Miroku? You okay? You haven't grabbed any girls butts yet." Sango said sarcastically.

He nodded, holding his staff tighter. "I'm fine. I was just thinking...how untouched this place is. Naraku's influence hasn't spread here yet." It was a lie, but a convincing one.

Inuyasha scoffed. "Yeah, whatever." He flexed his hands a moment later, sniffing the air with his keen nose. "I smell blood. Human."

Kagome shivered, looking around her. There was no sign of anything wrong, no demons, and no violence. "I don't see anything, Inuyasha."

Sango glanced around worriedly as well, her hand straying to her weapon, a giant boomerang. "Me either."

They entered the town square unhindered, and took in the layout. In the center, there was an ancient fountain on which most of the spouts were clogged, making the fountain a sad, dribbling chunk of stone.

Surrounding the fountain was a large marketplace that used the buildings as a border. Houses, more like huts than anything else, stood alongside the paths that led to the town square.

On one such path, a door to a nearby house was flung open quite suddenly, and a woman stumbled out. A red mark was visible on her cheek, and a cut across her hand was bleeding freely. A bear of a man stood in the doorway, a bottle of sake clutched in one hand. "Stay out there until you learn to keep your trap shut, you little bitch," he spat drunkenly before slamming the door closed.

The woman picked herself up, brushing off her clothes with her uninjured hand. Her hair, long and dark red, veiled her face as she wound a strip of cloth across what looked like a knife wound on the back of her hand. She sighed, taking no notice of those around her, and pushed back her hair. With her face revealed, she was a very pretty woman. If you ignored the bruises, that is.

She had one especially vibrant bruise spreading across her previously red cheek, and yet not a tear fell from her eyes. She was silent and unflinching though it was clear what had just happened. No ring shone on her finger, stating that she was not married to the one who had thrown her out the doorway.

The clothes she wore were simple and plain; a gray tunic with a pair of black pants underneath and nothing on her feet. Obviously, she wasn't well off in life, but she held her head high nonetheless. Not wincing, she touched a hand to her bruised cheek. Momentarily, she shut her eyes and heaved a sigh.

Kagome could only keep silent for so long. "Are you okay?" she called out, taking a step towards the other woman.

The redhead started like a nervous horse, having not seen Kagome. "I'm fine," she replied tiredly, recovering from the brief shock from both being addressed by a stranger, and having someone concerned about her well-being.

Kagome's eyes shifted to the house from which the woman had come. "What happened in there?"

"Nothing." The sharp reply cracked like a whip in the air, leaving the others silent for a moment or two.

"Who was that man?" Sango asked, gesturing towards the house.

Deciding it was time to observe the girls companions, the woman didn't answer right away. "He's my..." She fell silent suddenly, her eyes growing wide and her mouth dropping open bit.

Following her gaze, Kagome realized who she was gaping at.

"M-Miroku?" the woman stammered, her eyes wide and disbelieving.

A moment later, the ground rushed towards her as she collapsed.

END CHAPTER

Okay, so I left it with a cliffhanger. Sort of. It's a cliffhanger if you're interested in hearing who the guy is...and who the girl is, for that matter.

I'll see how people like this story, then possibly and obsessively write more of it. Meaning if you like it, send me a review. It makes me feel so happy to check my email and see stuff from FanFiction saying I have a review.

Just in case you've never read anything else by me, it's my style to ramble pointlessly at the start and end of every chapter. Hope you don't mind my ranting.

All done. (rubs hands) Ouch.

Authoress out.


	2. Engaged?

Authoress here.

Okay, more background information needed? I can do that.

I need to figure out how old Miroku is. Anyone know? I can't find it anywhere! Tell me in a review if you know! It's a little hard to say what they were like six years ago when you don't know exactly how old they were...but I try.

START CHAPTER

"Miroku, what's it going to be like?"

Sitting on the riverbank in Karai with their feet dipped in the water were two children, the woman and Miroku. It was six years earlier, and they were still filled with dreams and ideals for the future. Even as they were too young to be married, Matori still dreamed that a childhood love could develop into something more serious.

The monk had chuckled. "Well Matori, we'll have a big house away from here. Far, far away. You'll never have to worry about demons or anything."

She had sighed wistfully, imagining it in her younger mind. "Miroku," she had said suddenly. "Why do you wear that glove on your hand."

"This?" Miroku had stared out into the glittering water where the sun cast a setting reflection. "No reason."

Matori was convinced, and let the subject drop. She kicked her feet in the water, splashing Miroku, to lighten the mood. He laughed and splashed her back, and soon a water fight had started.

"Is she okay?" The present-day Miroku's voice was blocking out the voices of a memory.

Water flew, soaking them both. The air was filled with their laughter.

"I hope so. It would be a shame if we never got the rest of the story," Sango replied, her mouth twisting into a thoughtful frown.

As Miroku reached out to her in the memory to pull her up from where she had stumbled trying to escape a large splash, her eyes opened to see the monk leaning over her.

As he leaned back, she sat up to see a group assembled around her. A fox, a cat, a half demon, and three humans stood around her. Reaching a hand up to her forehead, Matori asked weakly, "What happened?"

"You passed out when you saw Miroku," Shippo offered. "Personally, I don't think he's a scary as Inuyasha."

Matori flinched as Inuyasha slammed a clawed fist onto the young demon's head. "Shut up, Shippo!" he growled.

Matori stood up shortly afterwards, brushing off her tunic. "Sorry to be a bother," she said without expression.

Miroku was staring at her. "Matori? Is that really you?"

She didn't turn to face him when he spoke. "It is. Are the other girls with you also women you lied to?"

"What?"

"You lied to me, Miroku." Her voice quavered with anger. "You said you'd come back for me, and I waited. What a fool I was, to believe everything you said to me."

Miroku sighed. "I'm sorry. Things...came up."

She turned towards him sharply. "You broke my heart because things came up?"

"I didn't mean to! I'm sorry!"

Kagome and Sango looked away uncomfortably. Inuyasha sat listening with one eyebrow arched, clearly interested.

"Sorry won't cut it this time, Miroku. It's too late for that now." She was speaking bitterly without a trace of sorrow. She was good at hiding and bottling up her true emotions, which she was doing when she spoke to Miroku. Her face was a mask that concealed her true feelings.

The monk looked concerned and bewildered. "It's...too late?"

"You should've come back two years ago. I couldn't take it when the fifth year passed without you returning." Her voice shook now.

"It's not really too late," Miroku offered, not wanting her feelings to be hurt by what may have seemed like total lack of caring.

"I've shed too many tears over you already. So many long hours waiting, hoping...dreaming." She paused, then glanced at the house she had stumbled out of roughly a half hour before. "I'm engaged, Miroku."

"You're...what? Where's the ring?" he asked, gesturing to her left hand.

She crossed her arms to hide the bare hand. "I took it off while I was cooking dinner."

Miroku was silent for a moment. "Who are you engaged to?"

The door to the house opened before she could answer, and out stepped the drunk from before, still holding the now empty bottle of sake.

"Miroku, this is Shinji. My...fiancé. We're getting married tomorrow." She drew herself up and gave her hair a small shake so that her vision wasn't obscured. "You can come, if you'd like."

Shinji listened until she was finished, then draped a beefy arm over her shoulders. "If you're friends o' hers, you can come. I don' care," he slurred drunkenly.

Matori was silent as she stood by the man who was to be her husband.

Shinji pushed her off towards the house, giving her a swat on her backside and letting loose a hearty chuckle. "Go on and finish makin' supper ready, Tori."

Matori nodded with her back to him. After opening the door, she cast a glance back at Miroku. For a moment, the mask that hid her true emotions flickered, and her sorrow was visible for a second before she looked away and entered the house.

Shinji stopped laughing and grinned. "Ain't she a pretty one?" he asked Miroku, who he had noticed was watching her leave.

Miroku nodded stiffly. "She's quite a catch indeed," he replied quietly. Turning to Inuyasha, he said in the same quiet voice, "Let's find somewhere to stay the night."

"You can stay here!" Shinji offered, oblivious to the rocky situation between Matori and Miroku.

"That's alright," Miroku replied. "I'm sure we can find lodgings elsewhere. I wouldn't want us to be a burden."

"I won' take no for an answer," Shinji responded firmly, steering the group into his house. "Tori, make dinner for..." He hurriedly did a head count of the people around him. "Seven people! Your friends are staying the night!"

"How lovely," came the reply, thick with forced kindness. "The girls and I can stay in the guest room if you want, Shinji."

"Yeah." Shinji nodded, making it clear that thinking wasn't his strong point. "Yeah. Do that. That'll work real good."

Kagome glanced around once before saying abruptly, "Sango and I are going to go help her make dinner." She grabbed Sango's arm before she could protest, and went into the kitchen. Kirrara bounded after them.

"Need a hand?" Kagome asked when she saw Matori trying to stir three pots at once so that nothing would burn.

Matori considered the question as she brushed back some unruly hair that had escaped from underneath a scarf she had tied around her head. "It wouldn't hurt," she admitted.

As the three girls cooked, Kagome decided to start a conversation. "So...you and Miroku were friends?"

"You could say that. He left here six years ago, leaving me with only memories and a promise," she answered, stirring the stew she was making.

"So you were close?" Sango prodded.

Matori smiled wistfully. "Six years ago, we pretended to get married. He told me we'd really get married someday...and that thought kept me waiting around for him for five years." As she realized the stew was burning, she decided to leave her answer at that and pay more attention to her cooking.

"He's not really worth it. You waited for a pervert, you know." Sango didn't take her eyes off what she was doing, but her words had an impact even without eye contact.

"Miroku is not a pervert," she snapped defensively.

Sango laughed lightly. "He may not have been six years ago, but he is today. He asks every girl he meets to bear his children, all because of that stupid Wind Tunnel."

"Wind Tunnel," Matori repeated, her tone going from snappish to confused.

Sango looked over at Matori, startled. "The Wind Tunnel. The hole in his hand that can suck things into a void. He...never told you? What did you think was hidden by the glove on his hand?"

"I asked him before, and he said there was no reason for wearing it," she replied weakly. "He wouldn't have lied to me back then."

"Maybe he didn't want you to feel sorry for him," Kagome offered, placing a lid on the stew to let it cook.

She shrugged. "It's possible."

"I saw the look on his face, Matori," Sango said quietly. "He didn't look too happy when you said you were getting married tomorrow."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Kagome agreed. "He looked really sad."

It may have been the heat of the kitchen, and it may have been thinking about Miroku that caused a tear to slide down Matori's cheek. Whatever it was, she quickly brushed it away with the back of her hand, letting the bandage there absorb the wetness. "It doesn't matter now. It's too late for anything to change. I'm marrying Shinji tomorrow, and I can't stop that."

Sango set down the bowls she had removed from a cupboard. "Do you love Shinji?"

Matori's cheeks flushed. "Well...no, but I have to marry him."

"Why would you _have_ to marry him?" Kagome questioned skeptically.

The redhead woman sighed, moving to lean against the windowsill. "My family was poor at the time, and Shinji was rich. We needed money so badly, that when Shinji offered to pay my parents for my hand, they accepted without talking to me. A short time afterward, the shop my father runs was getting more business than ever, and we no longer needed the money from Shinji." She sighed.

"That doesn't sound like a pleasant way to start off a relationship," Kagome commented sympathetically.

Matori chuckled a bit. "It was too late to spare me from marrying Shinji...and he's not really the type of man I'd dream of marrying. But I have to marry him anyway. I can't leave him because he would...probably kill me."

Kagome and Sango exchanged worried glances. "He'd _kill_ you?" Sango inquired.

She nodded in reply. "Why do you think I'm so beaten up? I tried to tell him I was leaving him, and he was angry. He's violent and merciless, even to an unarmed woman."

She paused to shiver and close the small window the block the cool breeze that had picked up as the day drew ever closer to the end.

"He doesn't mind hitting me...I guess he thinks it's a way of keeping me under control to insure that I'll obey him every day. Fear is a weapon."

"You have to do something! Come with us when we leave!" Kagome said hurriedly.

Matori sighed. "I can't. I don't want to cause any trouble."

Back in the living room, Shinji had rambled nonstop for a few minutes before the others had stopped trying to politely listen. Miroku and Inuyasha had exchanged rather bored glances a few times, and it seemed the half demon was trying very hard not to just tell Shinji that he didn't care.

After a few minutes, Shinji had shouted to Matori to set out dinner, which they had just finished with the combined efforts of three women. They set the table and dished out the stew, then sat down to eat.

At dinner, Matori felt someone poke her leg with their foot. Her eyes roved around the table until they landed on Miroku, who was looking at her. She nearly dropped her spoon with shock. She had been rather rude to him, and was startled that he still wanted to communicate with her.

He mouthed, "We have to talk."

END CHAPTER

Okay, so that was a bit longer and more abruptly ending than I had planned, but since I'm being forced off the computer, it's the best you'll get. After I ice my wrists, I'll get to work on the third chapter.


	3. Midnight Chats

Authoress here.

Okay, that last chapter hurt my fingers, but I'm still typing this one anyway. It'll be a little bit shorter than the other one, however, I'm having fun with this story. I'm thinking this won't really be depressing in the end, so I may have to change the genre unless I can think of a sad plot twist.

I don't own anything except this story, Matori, and Shinji.

START CHAPTER

Matori shifted her weight from one foot to the other and cast a nervous glance around her. Miroku had come to speak to her after everyone else was already asleep, and it was risky. If Shinji were to wake up and hear them talking, he would assume the worst and attempt to cause harm to the monk. "You wanted to talk to me?" she whispered.

Nodding, Miroku also looked around before replying. They were right outside her bedroom door, which meant that there was also the danger of Kagome or Sango waking up as well. "I did."

"About what?" came the quiet, lightning fast reply. "As far as I know, there's nothing to say."

"It's about Shinji. Why are you marrying him?"

_Because I have to. _"What kind of question is that?" she demanded.

Miroku sighed softly. "What reason is there for marrying that man?"

"Miroku, stop. All I ask is for you to come to my wedding tomorrow. Can't you just be happy for me?" As much as it hurt her to try and send him on a guilt trip, it was something she couldn't avoid at this point. She was to be another man's wife, and she just wanted to have the one she truly loved there.

The monk hesitated a moment before he nodded and sighed. "I will be there, but I can't be happy for you."

"Miroku..." she whispered.

Miroku turned to head back to his own room. "I won't object to this marriage," he assured her. "But I know you don't love him." He went into his room before she could respond, but his words had a lasting effect. They left her wanting to cry and sink to the ground, but after having her heart broken, she was stronger than before. Instead, she went back into her room.

As she was climbing back into bed, Kagome rolled over to look at her. "Why didn't you tell him the truth?"

Matori didn't answer right away. She had planned for this. "I already told you. I can't. Will you and Sango help me get ready tomorrow?" A casual change of the subject was not enough to permanently keep Kagome off the topic that made her want to cry the most, but Matori thought it would be nice to talk about something else.

Kagome sighed, but nodded. "We'll be there to help you...but I still don't like it. Why won't you just tell him and then leave with us? Shinji can't hurt you if he can't find you."

Matori lifted her head to fluff her pillow as she considered the words of the younger girl. "Leaving to escape him would work, but it's impossible for me to bail out of this marriage now. We wed tomorrow at dusk, Kagome. That doesn't leave much time for me to make a plan."

Kagome shrugged. "Act out of impulse, then. You're never going to be happy if you live a lie because you're too afraid to do something about it."

"Then tell Inuyasha how you feel about him," Matori replied slyly; she wasn't foolish enough to not notice the discreet flirtations between the two.

Kagome flushed. "You're changing the subject."

"I know."

"Because I'm traveling with Inuyasha, I get to see him every day, and then there's hope. If you just ditch Miroku and marry that loser, you'll never be happy."

"Such wisdom coming from such young girl," Matori responded sarcastically, aggravated that she knew Kagome was right.

"You don't have to be a jerk, you know," Kagome replied. "I'm just trying to help you."

"I'm sorry," Matori said honestly. "I'm right now. I don't know what I should d-do." Her voice broke and she gave in to the strong urge to let all the tears that she had bottled up for six years fall. "I l-love Miroku. I love him, Kagome. B-but I can't back out of this. Shinji will k-kill me, then he'll kill Miroku, too. I can't let that h-happen. I'd rather spend the rest of my life living in pain than let Miroku get hurt because of me."

Kagome reached over and patted her on the back sympathetically. "It's fine. Miroku's stronger than he looks. So is Inuyasha. That guy can't hurt them."

Matori sniffled into her pillow and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. "What should I do? I can't pretend anymore, Kagome. It hurts too much. I just can't."

Kagome smiled a little. "Call off the wedding. I'll be right there with you so he won't hurt you. I promise." She patted Matori's back. "Now get some sleep. You've got a big day ahead of you."

Matori nodded, letting her head sink into her pillow, comforted by the promise that she knew would never come true. Shinji was also stronger than he looked, and she doubted she, or anyone else, would escape unscathed.

Six years had passed since Miroku had promised to marry her. She was eighteen now, and beyond the legal and widely accepted age to wed. At eighteen, she had yet to experience her first kiss. While waiting for Miroku, she had pushed men from her and vowed that her first kiss would be with him.

At eighteen and still living her life from dream to dream, she drifted off to sleep.

END CHAPTER

I love Inuyasha. I love anime. I love writing. I love typing.

I also love ranting, so I'll tear myself away before I start with that too.

Authoress out.


End file.
